LAUSD Forced to Hand Over Additional Evidence in Miramonte Case - NBC4 Los Angeles - 05/02/20 скачать в хорошем качестве

LAUSD Forced to Hand Over Additional Evidence in Miramonte Case - NBC4 Los Angeles - 05/02/20

In the Miramonte child abuse case, a judge ordered Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) attorneys to produce within 24 hours photos they considered privileged evidence. This directive followed revelations during a deposition with the district's former chief risk manager, Gregg Breed. Plaintiffs' attorneys, including Luis Carrillo, allege that Breed testified about the existence of digital photographs showing child abuse by teacher Mark Berndt, contradicting the district's previous denial of having such photos. Sean Rossall of Cerrell Associates, handling Miramonte-related media inquiries, stated that the district received photos from law enforcement early in the litigation but did not share them with plaintiffs due to privacy concerns, a stance supported by Judge Wiley. LAUSD defense attorney Tom Delaney explained that the photos were part of mediation talks with victims who settled claims in February 2013. Judge John Wiley, Jr. requested the photos to determine whether they should be shared with the plaintiffs. Victims' attorney Luis Carrillo criticized the district for obstructing evidence requests and emphasized the public benefit of releasing more information. Vince Finaldi, another attorney for the victims, mentioned that the revelation of the photos may necessitate recalling some of the 50 people already deposed. Brian Claypool, also representing victims, plans to seek monetary sanctions against LAUSD for allegedly lying about the photos. Judge Wiley has yet to decide on the status of the photographs, which are considered unique evidence in child abuse cases. Finaldi noted their potential impact as powerful evidence for a jury. The plaintiffs have been requesting these photos since the lawsuit's initiation in 2012, following Berndt's arrest for lewd acts with children. Rossall indicated that during the 2013 discovery process, the district informed the plaintiffs about the photos, which might be duplicates of those held by the LA County Sheriff's Department in their 512-page investigation, most of which remains redacted and not public. Judge Wiley allowed the release of 130 names and contacts of witnesses interviewed by the department, giving them 10 business days to opt-in or opt-out of contact by plaintiffs' attorneys. The trial is scheduled to begin on July 8.